The 1930s were a landmark time for the candy business. Despite the economic hardships of the Great Depression, confectionary companies flourished, launching popular products that still remain in demand today. Snickers, the top-selling candy bar in the U.S., debuted in 1930, and in 1932, another well-known sweet treat made its first appearance: the 3 Musketeers candy bar, or, more accurately, candy bars. At the time, each 5-cent package contained three bars with three different flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla.
The three flavors resulted in the candy bar’s name, one that had already been made familiar by author Alexandre Dumas’ popular 1844 adventure novel The Three Musketeers. The 3 Musketeers bar remained a multipack from 1932 until 1945, but like many industries at the time, the candy business was majorly impacted by World War II. In 1942, government-mandated sugar rationing came into effect. When regular production resumed following the war in 1945, 3 Musketeers, citing ongoing challenges and costs related to wartime restrictions, was reduced to just one piece, available in just one flavor: chocolate. But despite the lower bar count, the name remained the same.
M&M’s were made for the military during World War II
During the Second World War, the U.S. was forced to ration many items, including sugar. But some confectionary companies, such as Mars and Hershey, continued to produce treats for soldiers in combat. One popular candy item was even made specially for the troops: In 1941, M&M’s were introduced with a hard candy shell to withstand rough handling and changes in temperature on the front lines. Forrest Mars, the founder of Mars, and his partner, Bruce Murrie, are said to have created M&M’s (short for Mars and Murrie) after observing similar candy coatings used in rations during the Spanish Civil War in the late 1930s. The snack was originally packaged in cardboard tubes, and at the time, was produced almost exclusively for soldiers’ food rations.
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